Opening mechanism for incinerator door

ABSTRACT

An incinerator having a housing that is provided with a topopening door to permit loading by gravity of combustible material therein. A loading means for the incinerator includes an actuator for the top-loading door that when motivated first moves the door vertically until the door is removed from ther incinerator and then swings it arcuately about a center point at the side of the incinerator whereby it is completely out of the way of loading equipment being used.

United States Patent [191 Wiser et al.

[451 I July 3, 1973 OPENING MECHANISM FOR INCINERATOR DOOR Inventors: Charles E. Wiser, Wellsville;

Donald 0. Peterson, Friendship,

both of NY.

Assignee: The Air Preheater Company, Inc.,

Wellsville, N.Y.

Filed: Dec. 8, 1971 Appl. No.1 206,226

US. Cl. 110/176 Int. Cl. F23|n 7/00 Field of Search 110/176, 18 R, 8 R

I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Naulin 110/18 R 10/1911 Steele 110/176 1,096,323 5/1914 Sherman 110/176 Primary Examiner-Kenneth W. Sprague Assistant Examiner-James C. Yeung Attorney-Wayne H. Lang et a1.

[57 ABSTRACT An incinerator having a housing that is provided with a top-opening door to permit loading by gravity of combustible material therein. A loading means for the incinerator includes an actuator for the top-loading door that when motivated first moves the door vertically until the door is removed from ther incinerator and then swings it arcuately about a center point at the side of the incinerator whereby it is completely out of the way of loading equipment being used.

2 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure OPENING MECHANISM FOR INCINERATOR DOOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Most conventional incinerators include a housing enclosing a chamber that has an opening at one end thereof to permit the loading of waste material to be burned and an opening at a spaced end for the exhaust of waste gases therefrom. Waste material is then inserted through the loading opening manually or by apparatus of the type defined in U. S. Pat. No. 3,486,644 issued Dec. 30, 1969 and then combustion is carried out according to a preconcieved plan. Where side loading is possible, loading is carried out either manually or through the assistance of mechanical loading devices of the type defined. Top loading in many instances is desirable from a material handling standpoint, but apparatus for loading through the top of the incinerator is cumbersome and it is prone to excessive wear such that it is difficult to maintain an airtight seal with respect to the incinerator housing so there is excessive and uncontrollable leakage of air into the incinerator.

It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a top-loading door for an incinerator which overcomes or minimizes the foregoing disadvantages of a top-loading door for an incinerator.

Another objective is to provide a top-loading door for an incinerator that first moves vertically, then arcuately so that it moves completely to the side of the incinerator and does not block access to the loading opening.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An incinerator is disclosed having a housing with a unique top-loading door that is adapted to initially move upward or to float away from contact with the housing, but when removed therefrom is pivotally attached to a side of the housing whereby it will pivot to the side thereof and thus move away from interference with equipment used to load the incinerator. Closure of the loading door is complete and positive to prevent air leakage into the incinerator to upset the rate of combustion, or on occasion, to prevent the leakage of gaseous fumes therefrom. A vertical force is applied to the door immediately before complete closure is achieved whereby the door floats into itsseating arrangement on the incinerator housing to preclude twisting or improper sealing therebetween.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The single FIGURE shows a perspective view of an incinerator with a top-loading door arranged according to this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawing the numeral indicates the housing of an incinerator having loading opening 12 on top through which trash or combustible refuse is charged and an end opening 14 throughwhich unburnable solids or ash remaining from the combustion of said refuse is removed. An exhaust stack 16 leading away from'the incinerator comprises an outlet port through which the gaseous products of combustion are exhausted to the atmosphere. The inner wall of the housing 10 preferably is insulated with a layer of refractory insulation which enables the incinerator chamber to withstand temperatures in excess of 2,500 F. The loading opening 12 is sealed by a door 15 having suitable packing means or gaskets therebetween while the ash removal door 17 closes the ash removal opening 14 so there is no leakage of air therethrough.

In order to facilitate the loading of waste material into the incinerator a conveyor may be adapted and arranged to discharge into the top of the incinerator, the incinerator may be submerged in a pit or an inclined unloading ramp may be built up to the loading port 12 whereby a truck or other refuse hauling means may unload a charge of material directly through the port 12 at the top of the incinerator so it will fall freely into the combustion chamber.

In accordance with the invention we provide a door opening mechanism that includes a pair of arms 26 that are pivotally attached by primary pivots 28 to the central axis of door 15. Opposite ends of the arms 26 are secured to the secondary pivots 32 that are supported on upright structure 36 horizontally offset from the primary pivots 28. An upright member 42 on each of arms 26 provides a base for a horizontal actuating arm 46 that is adapted to extend therebetween whereby an upward force applied thereto will be transmitted to the door through pivots 26 such that the entire door will first float" or move vertically upward until it is cracked open, then it will move arcuately about the pivots 32 so that it will be entirely out of the path of any loading equipment above and at one side of the incinerator.

A stud 48 extending axially from the end of door 12 traverses a vertically elongate slot 52 in one or both of arms 26 to provide a lost motion" type action whereby only the centrally located primary pivots 28 are at all times active. Therefore, the studs 48 at the sides of the door contact the ends of their respective slots and serve to lift the door only if the door becomes tilted or if the arms 26 are pivoted about the point 32.

Extending horizontally between uprights 36 is a support beam 54 that supports a reducing gear 56 driven by a drive motor 58. A rotatable drum 62 driven by the drive motor slowly rotates to wind the cable 64 that encircles the pulley 66 so that it rolls the cable thereon to reduce the length of the free cable and raise the door off from "its opening.

Inasmuch as the door 15 is lifted at first only by the central pivot pins 28, the door is first lifted in substantially a vertical direction, but after the door is cracked," the entire door is pivoted around the pivots 32 at a side of the-incinerator so it moves to the side of the incinerator and thus will not interfere with loading material through the opening 10.

While we have shown and specifically descirbed one embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that various changes may be embodied in our invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Thus, while a mechanical winch-type operating means is shown in connection with this invention, equivalent hydraulic or pneumatic means may be substituted without resorting to invention. It is therefore intended that all material shown in the accompanying drawing or described. in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. An incinerator having a housing including a port for the exhaust of gaseous products of combustion from door has been raised from its pivot, means for applying a force to said pivot arm to raise the door, and means intermediate the pivot arm and the loading door lifting said door vertically from said housing.

2. An incinerator as defined in claim 1 wherein the means raising the door vertically from the housing includes a stud extending horizontally from the end of the loading door, and a vertically disposed slot in the pivot arm arranged to slidably receive said stud. 

1. An incinerator having a housing including a port for the exhaust of gaseous products of combustion from said housing, an opening in said housing for the removal of solid products of combustion therefrom, an opening in the top of said housing for the loading of combustible material into said housing, a door for said opening, primary pivot means on said door, a secondary pivot means for said door adjacent the loading opening in said housing, an elongate pivot arm pivotally attached to the primary pivot at one end and to the secondary pivot at a point spaced therefrom, means for moving the door about its secondary pivot after the door has been raised from its pivot, means for applying a force to said pivot arm to raise the door, and means intermediate the pivot arm and the loading door lifting said door vertically from said housing.
 2. An incinerator as defined in claim 1 wherein the means raising the door vertically from the housing includes a stud extending horizontally from the end of the loading door, and a vertically disposed slot in the pivot arm arranged to slidably receive said stud. 